Interview: Jizzy Pearl (Love/Hate)

Coming our way in March (and into April if you’re in Oxford), Jizzy Pearl will be touring the UK to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Love/Hate’s second album Wasted in America. This is one of those tours that I have two overwhelming feelings about: joy at being able to hear these classic songs live again, and the sad punch in the guts as I was there when they were toured the first time… and therefore I must be getting very old.

Click for bigness

For my money, the title track and “Don’t Fuck With Me” are two of the best sleaze rock tracks ever written (if we have to classify everything). I’m sure both were played on the band’s first UK tour when they only had Blackout released. They simply haven’t aged. I, unfortunately, have…

Jizzy took time out from rubbing pre-tour grit into his vocal cords to answer a few of our questions, for which we’re very grateful…

You’re touring in celebration of the second Love/Hate album’s anniversary. Way back in the day, did you ever expect to still be performing live for a living, playing music you wrote 25 years earlier?

The short answer is no, If I only knew then what I know now! Ha ha! The true definition of success has changed for me since 1991. In 2017, real success is being able to do what you love and do it well.

Who do you have backing you this time? The King Lot were superb on the last tour!

No, different Brits this time -Christian Kimmet and Stevie Pearce from Warrior Soul and Mickey Richards from Ryan Hamilton’s band, The Traitors.

You’re playing HRH AOR in March. Also on the bill is Tracii Guns’ LA Guns. Any chance of a guest appearance or something special during the show?

Nope. He plays Saturday and I play Friday and then we’re both off to other cities. I’m sure they will be great as always!

You’re also on the bill for HRH Sleaze later in the year. Does the line-up of the festival, and the fact that such big events are taking place, make you think that “our” music is still managing to go strong after all these years?

It is the fans that keep the music going. If it weren’t for them none of us would still be going. That’s the truth.

Are we likely to hear any non-Love/Hate material on this tour?

I do throw in some Jizzy solo songs in from time to time but to be honest people want to hear the first two Love/Hate records sung by the guy who can still sing them…

Photo by Gary Cooper

Your last release was as part of Quiet Riot 10. Do you have any plans to produce anything else in the near future?

I am currently working on a new full length record for Frontiers due next fall. So yes, expect new music this year!

The Hollywood sign was recently defaced. Do you feel some people are a bit behind the times, given that you yourself were involved in one of the most famous incidents involving the sign?

I saw that and you know what? Turning the letters into ‘Hollyweed’ was easy. Crucifying yourself on the letter ‘Y’? Not so easy…

Looking back, was hanging yourself from the sign a good idea? Would you do it again now you’re older and (maybe!) wiser?

I did have those thoughts when I was dangling 60 feet off the cliff, “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea…?” But the statement was made, Hollywood Myth Machine vs. artistic integrity – and the winner is…?

When did you take the name “Jizzy Pearl”? How did it come about?

Back in the mid-80’s there were hundreds of musicians in Hollywood trying to make it and I wanted to try to stand out a little so the name Jizzy came about. From Jim. Everyone had silly Hollywood names and in 2017 some of us still do.

If you weren’t still performing , what do you think you’d be doing for a living?